Posts filed under 'social life'
I know we talk a lot of “grown-up” and “practical” around here, but I don’t want you to forget that college really means the transition years between childhood and adulthood–and what does that mean?
Well, that you need to still be a kid sometimes. And you need to remember how to do it when the grown-up world takes you over.
The college years can be some of the most fun of your life, so here are some fresh, fun, and funky ways to document the good times so you can share and remember:
- Things We Wore. One of my friends started this great blog entitled Things We Wore. It’s devoted to chronicling the simple fact of what she wore when she went, did, and saw. If you’ve ever looked at (and mocked) your parents’ high school fashion choices, you know this will be fun to look back on.
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- “What I Did This Summer” Documentary. Our senior year of high school, my friends and I put together a collection of last-chance activities and random pranks to pull on each other, and videoed them. My best friend and I edited together our footage, and we had a “premier” party at the end of the summer, before everyone started college. Looking back, it is both embarrassing and nostalgic–a good combination of both.
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- Weird Hometown. Have you ever checked out one of those Weird U.S. books? They chronicle the weird and wacky locations around the country, from haunted houses to over-sized dinosaur statues. Why not blog the oddities of your hometown, college town or campus, or summer vacay spot? Make sure you include your favorite local hangouts and what is wonderful or wacky about them.Here’s one of my favorite weird things at my alma mater, UCSD: The grafitti staircase in the Mandeville art building.
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- Start (and Record) a Band. Sounds are a huge part of memory, so my friends and I tried this too, with hilarious results. We were terrible musicians (of course) but spent a lot of time and effort putting on backyard concerts and recording our music. Now whenever we play an mp3 we remember how ridiculous and fun summer was.
Hope that gave you an idea for a little something different. 
photo by johnridley
June 19th, 2009
How many of us use TV, the internet, or an iPod to escape the stress of family, school, and work?
You don’t have to raise your hand–I’m pretty sure we all do it, at least to some extent. But if you’re anything like me, you enjoy the mindless web surfing while it’s going on, but feel like you haven’t accomplished much at the end of the day. So kids, its time for us to get a hobby.
Outside the Box
Summer is the perfect time to get into something new, and if you find a good fit now you’ll have something relaxing and fulfilling to do with your free time when the school year starts. So I’ve thought outside the proverbial and literal box (by which I mean TV, computer, and iPod) and come up with some great new outlets for your energies.
Ready? Here we go:
- Want the same thrill of Halo with a little more action? Try paintballing or airsoft. (Just remember to follow the safety rules. My brother literally got shot in the eye and almost went blind!)
- Good old Oprah shares How to Start a Book Club
- Or, if you’re hungry for something more substantial than literature, Start a Cooking Club instead
- Want to make movies with your friends? Get inspired by these amateur film-makers who got their start in college (at my Alma Mater!)
- Learn How to Crochet or Knit from Knitting Help
- Want to learn Yoga? I like this Yoga Cardio DVD from Gaiam (the 30 minute workout is the perfect length)
- Okay this is back in a box, but what about Teaching Yourself HTML and CSS Stylesheets (at the very least it will teach you how to make your blog more appealing…)
- Learn how to Start a Skateboarding Club (or any other sport you’re interested in) when you get back to school
- Start keeping a journal with these Journal Prompts
- Start a “Meetup” group for something you are interested in, from running to painting, anything goes
- Find your local YMCA or library and see what kind of classes they offer–I’ve seen everything from martial arts to music programs and practically everything in between!
Keep it Up
If you find something you really click with this summer, don’t let it slide during school! It will be easy and tempting to slip back into your old afternoon TV rituals, but don’t let your electronics rule your life!
And what is the other great reason for you to take up a new hobby? That’s right–you can put most of these on your resume or scholarship applications. And who doesn’t like a healthier resume?
As always, feel free to share your own tips and thoughts in the comments. And feel free to offer suggestions for future posts you’d like to see!
Photo by tangerine1
June 12th, 2009
Lots of us–I’d hope to say even most of us–love our families. But that does not mean that we want to spend a day riding mini-rides at Legoland or following Mom around Monticello. So if your parents are insisting on some family time when all you want to do is go to the mall with your friends, I am happy to say that I have a few tips for how to (hopefully) enjoy fulfilling the family-time requirements of the summer.
(Okay, and actually, I am secretly a big fan of Monticello… 
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Plan It Yourself
Want to give your parents a shock and knock out some family-bonding at the same time? I’d suggest planning a family excursion yourself. It will get you some good credit with your parents, and, best of all, it means you can choose something you actually want to do.
Split Up
The best family outings have a little something for everyone–it means everyone can split off in different directions when you start to get on each other’s nerves. This is especially important for families where interests are very different, or there is a huge age range between the kids.
I suggest keeping it simple. Make a trip to the park or the beach. Pack some snacks or lunch for a picnic, and make it clear beforehand that its supposed to be a relaxing time. Mom can read the book she got at the library, your little brothers can build a sandcastle or play frisbee, your sister can feed birds, and you and Dad can go for a run. Its all about being flexible while being together.
Get it Together
If your parents don’t buy in to the separate-but-together idea, or if you secretly kind of want to have some real quality bonding time, try doing something new together. Getting family members of all ages together for something completely new can be fun (and sometimes hilarious, depending on what you attempt–can you imagine your Dad joining you for a hip hop class?).
Try taking a class together, even if it is just a one-day class. Artistic classes like dance or pottery can be good individual activities to do together, or something like a cooking lesson can be good to get everyone working as a team.
Attitude Adjustment
Just like in most other areas of life, your attitude is the real secret to enjoying your family. So if you’re feeling bummed out by your siblings (or parents) try to adjust your point of view.
First, shift your perspective. If you have the kind of family that wants to spend time together, that is something to be grateful for. Not everyone can claim that. It means that your parents and sibs value you, your presence, and your place in the family. So that’s pretty cool.
Second, make the decision to have fun. That really makes a huge difference. Decide that you’re going to try to make everyone else enjoy themselves, too. So if you’re waiting in a long line or trapped in the car, play games with your bored brother. If you’re visiting the same museum for the fouth time, learn something new, or compete with your sister to see who knows the museum guide’s speech better.
In a few months you’ll be back at school, so make the most of this time while you have it–you might actually miss it when you head back.
Photo: Family’s Happy Day by Marcos Santos
May 27th, 2009
It seems like we are hearing everywhere that times are tough–tougher than they’ve been in a while–and its time to cut back. Well our grand dreams of European summer vacations may be on hold, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to spending June through August cleaning pools or taking the “stay-cations” to your local mini-mart. It’s just time to get creative, cheaply. And isn’t that what college students do best?
Take in the Scenery
Sure, it’s nice to hop on a plane and read a magazine all the way from Point A to Point B, but if you bank account looks anything like most college students’, first class probably isn’t an option. Instead, round up your best pals and set off on an adventure by car, train, or bus.
Resources
Sleep on the Floor
Need a place to stay but don’t want to spend a lot? Consider:
- Best Western/Holiday Inn Express (relatively inexpensive and usually non-creepy)
- Checking out a guidebook for your trip area to find cheap, quirky hotels
- Crashing on a couch or floor of a friend/relative/friend-of-a-friend (but be a good house guest!)
- Stay in a suburb of a big city (like NYC) and make trips in during the day
- Camping out (in a tent, or if the weather is good & you’re feeling brave, right under the stars)
Resources
Cook for Yourself
If you’re going the camping route, one of the best ways to scrimp on food costs is to cook over your campfire (or if you’re staying with friends or family, cook there–or see if they’ll share a meal!) It’s easy to carry milk and cereal in a cooler for breakfast, and for other meals check out:
photo by bjearwicke
May 16th, 2009
Your first (or second… or third…) summer back at home after nine months of independence can leave both you and your parents a little shell shocked. You’re used to making your own hours, doing your own thing-and Mom is used to you taking out the trash and being in bed by ten. Here’s how to navigate those first few weeks gracefully, and gear up for a great summer vacation.
Redefining Boundaries
Your ability to spend a peaceful three months at home is pretty much contingent upon your ability to compromise, so it’s important that you have a face-to-face chat with your parents ASAP.
Discuss what each of your expectations are for your summer stay: maybe you want a later curfew (or none at all), Mom wants you to walk the dog, and Dad doesn’t want to wake you up for work anymore. You’ll want to touch expectations for things like curfews, chores, obligatory family time (hey, enjoy it! My parents stopped inviting me on vacations in college!), privacy, meals, your allowance (or lack thereof), and the “requirements” of living at home (like having a job or cleaning up after dinner).
Try to find a balance that will make everyone feel comfortable-and be adult about it if you want to win brownie points for that later curfew!
Making Money
It may be tempting to spend the first six weeks sleeping in and enjoying the comforts of home, but if you want to get a job this summer, you need to get out there and apply fast. With the economy tough and students all over pouring out of classes, your competition may be tougher this summer than ever before.
There are a lot of ways you can make a buck without having to sign on for something permanent. (See the posts on freelancing and making cash over school breaks!) Another great way to get a job back home is to have your parents network for you. They can ask their friends if they’re hiring for temp work, or even ask about Help Wanted signs they see posted. I got a second job at a hobby shop one summer mostly because my mom put in a good word for me.
Spending Time
I know you don’t want to think about this, but once you’re out of school, summer break is pretty much over for good. The work force doesn’t stop for summer. (Sad!) That said, make sure you make time for all the important things you REALLY want to do this summer. For example:
- Take a road trip,
- Spend time with your siblings (they miss you even though they can be pests) and parents,
- Reconnect with high school friends,
- Hit the beach or pool,
- Have a bonfire & eat s’mores (one of my summer to-do list staples!),
- Rekindle your hobbies before text book season returns, etc.
photo: Awesome House 2 by reznor70
May 8th, 2009
I know we just went over my top 5 Facebook Privacy Settings, but I wanted to write another quick post about Facebook because–TA DA!–Surviving College Life finally has a facebook fan page! Hooray!
So please +FAN the site , and feel free to post your ideas or requests for future posts on the fan site Wall. This site is all about you guys–I want to hear from you!
And now, on to the 5 more awesome settings…
1. Get LESS Info About Friends. I love Facebook gossip as much as the next girl, but I do have a few friends who seem to be changing their profile and updating their statuses incessantly. (I don’t need a play-by-play of each breath!) Happily, Facebook lets you ask to hear a little less from these peeps.
How To: At the top of your feed, click Options for News Feeds. At the bottom-right of the page, you’ll see Less About These Friends. Just enter in the names of the TMI addicts and you’re good to go.
2. Get MORE Info About Friends. Clearly, this is the flipside of the “less info” option, and it allows you to get more and more details about the people you care about most, like your new crush, your BFF, or your ex.
How To: At the top of your feed, click Options for News Feeds. At the bottom-left of the page, you’ll see More About These Friends. Enter their names, and voila! You’re done.
3. Make a Badge. Want to link to your profile from your blog or website? Facebook has a built-in badge maker so you can list your profile pic, contact info & etc. all with a handy link to your Facebook page.
How To: Go to your profile and scroll down to the bottom of the left-hand bar (the one with your profile pic in it). Click on Make a Badge. You can either use a template they already have, or create your own. Copy & paste the HTML they give you into a widget on your blog or a spot on your site.
4. Mobile Facebook. If you are a true Facebook-aholic, activate your phone-to-Facebook feature. It will send you txt notifications of friend requests, messages, wall posts, and status updates. Plus, it allows you to make status updates on the go, or upload photos and videos right from your phone.
How To: Go to Settings > Account Settings and select the Mobile tab. Enter your phone number and carrier, and activate it! (Remember that standard text fees will apply to this feature.)
5. Edit Application Settings. I hate getting spamy emails from the applications I’ve added to my facebook page–little did I know you can edit all those settings! Each application had different options, so you can go in and edit each app’s authority to post stories about how you’ve used it, when it can email you, etc. Hooray for less spam!
How To: Go to Settings > Application Settings and click the Edit Settings link beside the application. Choose the settings you want, and click Okay. Now pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Happy Facebooking, and remember to add Surviving College Life to your fandom list!
March 13th, 2009
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